The present invention relates to protective carriers for children and more particularly to such carriers that may be mounted to vehicles.
Present day "infant seats" or "car carriers" for infants and small children leave much to be desired concerning the actual safety afforded the child rider. Some are effectively designed to protect against forward, backward and lateral impact. None that this inventor is aware of offer substantial head or upper torso protection. What protects a child's head, for example, when a vehicle rolls over onto its top beyond the vehicle top itself? This question has even further reaching safety implications when bicycle "carriers" are considered. A small child on a bicycle is nearly totally exposed to the elements. To make matters worse, the child may be strapped to a machine that can of itself cause very serious injury, notwithstanding the injury caused by ground contact. Couple these frightening revelations with the flimsy nature of the standard bicycle "carrier" and the potential for serious injury becomes so likely that one shudders at the prospect.
Protection for small children riding on the backs of bicycles should at least be similar to that afforded by "car seats" or even more so because the child on a bicycle does not have the protection of a roof. The typical bicycle carrier simply affords no protection for the most critical and vulnerable area of the human anatomy--the head. Even carriers with high seat backs are not sufficiently effective since they offer no protection against lateral or downward impact to the head.
The above problem is recognized to a limited extent by Lewis in U.S. Pat. No. 4,026,448. Lewis discloses a modified "infant seat" used as a protective head and backrest attachment for existing bicycle carriers. Various restraints are disclosed for holding the "sleeper" to the bicycle carrier and for holding the child's head still within the carrier.
The back and top of the device extend forwardly over the infant's head to provide impact protection. The device, however, has limited application to existing forms of bicycle carriers and would not be applicable to "car carriers".
At present, vehicle carriers and other children's seats are rigid, usually molded units. The only adjustment afforded is by changing the overall position of the complete carrier. When a child is to be laid back from sitting to a supine position, her knees and feet are automatically elevated, since they must remain in the same position defined by the rigid carrier. The single position becomes uncomfortable for the child and can make simple diaper changing a difficult task.
Transferability of a child carrier from one vehicle to another (such as from autos to bicycles) is another difficulty that has been recognized and yet remains substantially unresolved. Bicycle carriers require some form of safety provision to keep the child rider's feet clear of the wheel spokes. So, bicycle carriers often have integral "stirrups" or "leg wells" to shield the foot and lower leg areas from the spokes. These are effective or bicycle safety but are not necessary and, in fact, render that type of carrier unusable as a form of seat mounted automobile carrier. The stirrups do not allow the carrier to assume a natural upright sitting position on a relatively flat car seat.
The present invention provides an adequate solution to all of the above mentioned problems by presenting a versatile carrier that can be easily adapted for use on a bicycle or within a driven vehicle such as a car. Furthermore, the present carrier includes distinctive features in a removable covering and backrest adjustment that increase the overall safety of the rider and add to her comfort.